Signature feeding devices



April 5, 1960 Filed July 23, 1958 L. DAVIS SIGNATURE FEEDING DEV ICES I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LEONARD DAV/S gr: 99g

Arron/vars April 5, 1960 L. DAVIS 2,931,545

SIGNATURE'FEEDING DEVICES Filed July 23, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE NTOR LE ONAIPD DA W5 8): I ATTORNEYS April 5, 1960 L. DAVIS 7 2,931,646

- SIGNATURE FEEDING DEVICES Filed Juiy 23. 1958 s Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR LEONARD DA W3 A TTORNEYS 2,931,646 SIGNATURE FEEDING DEVICES Leonard Davis, Hamilton, (Dntario, Canada Application July 23, 1958, Serial No. 750,426 7 Claims. (0. 271- This invention relates to improvements in signature feeding devices for feeding folded signatures to binding or stitching machines, and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and positive arrangement having a receptacle for the reception of a stack of folded signatures and from the bottom of which the signatures are automatically fed and opened to drop onto and straddle the standard saddle bar along which they are conveyed to a stitching machine.

A further and particular object of the invention is to open the signatures without the aid of vacuum suckers and to feed them at a downward inclination onto the saddle bar in the same direction as the direction in which the saddle bar extends. 1

Another object of the invention is to devise a feeder for utilizing the standard folded signature arrangement wherein one leaf of each signature is of greater width than the other to provide an overlap; the receptacle for receiving stacked signatures being formed with a rib extending along one side of its bottom and upon which the overlap portions of the signatures being fed therefrom successively rest and whereby the signatures when leaving 7 the receptacle are partly opened to horizontally straddle a blade forming an extension of the bottom of the receptacle, the blade being so arranged that each signature in its passage thereover is directed into a position wherein its overlapping leaf rests upon the top face of the blade with its other leaf hanging downwardly over one side edgeof the blade, the output end of the blade leading to an inverted V-shaped saddle unto which the signatures pass to straddle the saddle and drop therefrom to straddle the standard saddle bar which conveys the signatures to the stitching machine.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as shall appear, the invention consists of a signature feeding device constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more tates-Fatent 6 the device showing a number of signatures in their passage therefrom unto the bar for conveyance to the stitching machine. v

As the signature feeding device utilizes gravity in its operation the path of passage of the signatures is inclined downwardly; the device being mounted at an inclination with its path of passage positioned above and extending in the same general direction as the standard saddle bar unto which the opened signatures are dropped for conveyance to the stitching machine, as illustrated in Figs; 1 and 8.

As will be seen upon reference to Fig. 1, the device broadly comprises an open backed signature receptacle 2,

- ajblade' 3 extending from the lower portion of the forparticularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device, the receptacle within which the signatures are stacked being broken away.

Fig. 2 illustrates a partly opened signature.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the lower portion of the open rear end of the receptacle showing a single signature resting upon the bottom thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom of the receptacle and its extension blade and showing a signature in its passage from the receptacle to horizontally straddle the blade.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bladeand showing an opened signature passing thereover.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the outer end of the saddle extension of the blade and showing a straddling signature passing thereover to drop from its end.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of one bottom corner portion of the receptacle and showing the corner of the blade entering between the'leaves of the signature, and

Fig. 8 is a side elevational schematic view of the ward end of the receptacle, a saddle member 4- extending from one forward corner of the blade and a plurality of signature impelling rolls 5 positioned just above the blade and saddle member and rotated by a motor 6.

The bottom of the receptacle 2 contains a plurality of roller bars 7 upon which the stack of signatures 8, Fig. 8, are-supported and upon which the lowermost signature is freely rollable. An underfeed friction feeder which may comprise the usual adjustable cam 9; and roll 10, driven by the motor 6, is positioned in the forward end of the receptacle with its bite in substantial alignment with the forward edge of the lowermost signature, the stack of signatures resting against a pair of stop members 12 having curved lower ends 13 for directing successively dropping signatures into the nip of the feeder. The forward wall 14 of the receptacle is formed with a slot 15 through which the lowermost signatures successively pass when drawn through the nip of the feeder.

Upon reference to Fig. 2 which illustrates a standard signature after it is printed and before it is stitched and trimmed it will be seen that the signature is so folded that one leaf is wider than the other to provide an overlap 16 and which is done to provide a ready meansfor opening the signature during the process of its production. To utilize this overlap in the operation of this device, a rib 17 is positioned along the inner face of the left hand side of the receptacle, as viewed in Fig. 1, and so located that its top face is a short distance above the roller bars 7. The rib is so dimensioned and the .rib and roller bars so related that the lowermost signature of a staclr has its lower leaf resting upon the roller bars and the overlap 16 of its top leaf resting upon the top of the rib 17 whereby the edge portions of the signature are spaced apart with a gap 18 as shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

The end of the blade 3 adjacent to the front of the receptacle is arranged to be in alignment with the gap 18 between the spaced apart edge portions of the lowermost signature and is of angular form to provide a pointed tooth 19 which readily enters the gap 18 as-the signature passes from the receptacle 'unto the blade. As

pulled from the receptacle by the nip of the feeder will through the entrance of the blade tooth 19 into the gap 18 of the signature horizontally straddle the blade 3, as shown in Fig. 4. As the signature is slid down the blade to past the point where its lower leaf has ceased to rest upon the roller bars 7, such leaf will swing downwardly to hang over the edge of the blade, as shown in Fig. 5; It will, of course, be appreciated that the progression of the signature downwardly of the blade is under the impulse of the driven rolls 5.

The lower corner 20 of the edge of the blade over which the lower leaf of the signature hangs is formed with a saddle member extension 21 with its apex portion in substantial alignment with such edge. As a signature slides down the blade to clear its lower edge its crease line portion 22 slides down the apex portion of Patented Apr. 5, 1960,

the saddle member so that when the top leaf of the signature clears the blade it swings downwardly whereby the signature straddles the saddle member 21, as shown in Fig. 6. When the open signature drops-off the end of the saddle member it landsto straddle a saddle ,bar 22 as shown in Fig. 8. This saddle bar is standard equipment in feeding signatures to a stitching machine, being provided with mechanically actuated shoes 23 which push the signatures along the bar to the stitching machine.

It is to be understood that in the practice of the invention the signature feeder and the impelling rolls may be actuated by the source of power actuating the stitching machine rather than by the motor' 6 actuating the rolls through the media of the driving chains 24., and that stopping, starting and speed of rotation of the feeder and rolls is so governed as to be in synchronization with the requirements of the stitching machine and other related mechanisms.

To accommodate signatures of various widths the side wall 24 of the receptacle 2 and upon which the rib 17 is carried is arranged to be moveable to provide for adjustment of the width of the receptacle. The to ward end of the rib 17 is formed with a lip 25 extending over the face of the tooth 19 of the blade 3 and in order that the lip 25 may always overlap the tooth 19 irrespective of the position of the sidewall 24 the blade 3 is ar ranged to be slidably adjustable upon its supporting member 26,'as by screws 27 threaded into the member through slots 28 in the overhang 29 of the blade.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that.

through the arrangement of this invention: the path of flow of the signatures is in one plane rather thanthe Signatures being fed transversely of the saddle bar feeding them to the stitching machine as is standard practice I and which arrangement enables the device to be made relatively narrow and of light weight construction mounted in a simple manner above the saddle bar, and although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown it will be understood that constructional changes or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is: r

1. A device for sliding and turning a signature from a fiat substantially horizontal position to a position vertically straddling a signature receiving saddle member, the signature being of rectangular shape and folded about one edge to form upper and lower leaves; said device comprising driven means engaging a signature and slid ing it in a direction substantially parallel to its folded edge, a substantially horizontal stationary signature re ceiving blade positioned in the path of the sliding signature and upon the top face of which the upper leaf of the signature rests and slides thereover, said blade havinga side edge extending in the same general'direction as the direction of sliding movement of the signature and which is overlapped by a portion of the top leaf of the signature adjacent to its folded edge and from which folded edge the lower leaf of the signature hangs down alongside said side edge of the blade, a saddle member projecting from a corner of the blade and in substantial alignment with the edge of the blade adjacent to the folded edge of the signature and onto which the signature slides upon leaving the blade and assumes a straddling position wherein the lower leaf of the signature hangs downwardly about one side of the saddle member and the top leaf of the signature is clear of the support of the blade and hangs down about the other side of the saddle member.

2. A signature sliding and turning device as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the signature is so folded that its top leaf is wider than its bottom leaf and whereby the free side edge portion of the top leaf protrudes beyond the corresponding side edgeof the bottom leaf, a stationary support upon which the bottom leaf of the signature initially rests and from which the signature slides towards the signature receiving blade, a top leaf supporting member located above the aforesaid support and upon which the protruding edge portion of the top leaf of the signature initially rests in spaced relation to the bottom leaf of the signature in the signatures sliding movement towards the stationary signature receiving blade.

3. A signature sliding and turning device as claimed in claim 2, and wherein a plurality of signatures are fed from a stack of signatures resting upon the stationary support and including power actuated means for successively sliding signatures from the bottom of the stack towards the horizontal signature receiving blade, the bottom leaves of the signatures successively resting upon the support and the protruding edge'portions of the top leaves of the signatures successively resting upon the top leaf supporting member.

4. A signature sliding and turning device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the stationary signature support and the signature receiving blade are inclined downwardly in the direction of the signature sliding movement.

5. A signature sliding and turning device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the signature receiving blade is formed with a tooth-like signature receiving projection extending towards the signature support.

6. A signature sliding and turning device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plurality of driven signature contacting and impelling rolls are positioned above the blade and the saddle member and under the influence of which signatures slide upon the blade and the saddle member.

7. A signature sliding and turning device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the top signature leaf supporting member overlaps the tooth-like projection of the signature receiving blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

